The Willow Glen football team has been waiting for this moment for almost nine months. The Rams have been eagerly awaiting another chance to lace up their cleats, strap on their pads and see exactly what Hakeem Mays is capable of doing.

Mays (5-foot-11, 177 pounds) was the Junior of the Year in the Mt. Hamilton Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League last year. He ran the ball 215 times for 2,129 yards and 25 touchdowns, even though he missed a game.

If Mays can score 25 times and rush for more than 2,000 in a single season as a junior, what will he do as a senior?

And don’t forget, he also pulled down 15 passes for another 143 yards and two more scores. What’s more, he wasn’t just a dominant force on offense; he also had five interceptions and got in on 35 tackles from his spot in the defensive secondary.

“We will be led by an exciting group of backs,” said Willow Glen head coach Oscar Caballero, with Mays leading the charge. “We’re looking to quickly rebuild up front on both sides of the line where we lost quite a few starters.”

Mays is not the only offensive threat that the Rams have coming back; they have almost their entire backfield returning.

Josh Landers (6-0, 196) was an all-league first team running back for the Rams last year as a junior. He ran 104 times for 613 yards and scored five touchdowns, and he caught 17 passes for 197 and three more scores. Landers was also third on the team in tackles, tallying 44 stops with a sack and a fumble recovery.

Landers figures to move to the quarterback spot for the Rams this fall after seeing limited time as the back-up at that position last season.

Isaiah Sires-Wils (5-11, 165) was another strong runner for Willow Glen in his junior year. He had 11 carries for 74 yards and four touchdowns and is back for his senior season.

Justin Perea (6-0, 160) is coming back as the top receiver for the Rams. He led the squad last year with 62 catches for 773 yards and three touchdowns, and that was as a sophomore on varsity. As a junior with a year of experience he should be a major threat to all the Rams’ opponents.

“Perea will lead the wide receiver corps this year,” said Caballero. Juniors Caleb Vander Esch (5-8, 139) and Clay Wilson (5-10, 126) will be also running down passes this year for the Rams.

William Kaufusi (6-0, 246) is returning to the defense for the Rams. The senior linebacker got in on 24 tackles as a junior and will be back in the middle this year.

Senior Alex Herrera (5-11, 255) will return to the trenches as a staple of both the offensive and defensive lines for the Rams.

Willow Glen also has a lot of talent coming up from the frosh-soph squad from last year. Evan Chaney (5-9, 170) and Simon Stibolt Kent (6-3, 182) will each be sophomores on the varsity this year. Chaney will be running the ball on offense and standing the middle as a linebacker. Kent will be battling up front as an offensive and defensive lineman.

Also coming up and expected to help the Rams are juniors Jordan Garcia (5-8, 235) and Travis Brown (5-9, 148). Garcia will be joining the offensive and defensive lines, while Brown will run the ball on offense and be knocking down passes as a defensive back.

The Rams finished 3-4 last year in the Mt. Hamilton Division but played a solid spoiler role, delivering one of Leland’s two losses to keep the Chargers from a title.

This year the Rams start on the road against Saratoga on Sept. 12 at 7 p.m. The second preseason game is also on the road at Palma on Sept. 19 at 7:30 p.m. The last game before the regular season starts will be at home against Lincoln on Sept. 26 at 7 p.m.

Willow Glen will open league play against Santa Teresa on Oct. 4 at 1:45 p.m. at the home of the Saints. After that the Rams head to Pioneer on Oct. 10 at 7 p.m. to battle an always dangerous squad of Mustangs.

The Rams have become a strong football hub in the past few years with several former Rams going on to play college ball. Joe Kaufusi and Luis Maciel have moved on to play at De Anza after graduating from Willow Glen in 2014. Mitch Ravizza, Mark Amann and Nick Oreglia are still playing together after graduating in 2011. The three former Rams will be playing at San Jose State University this year.

A long-awaited plan to keep the Raiders in Oakland was unveiled late Friday by city and Alameda County officials. In a news release issued late Friday afternoon, local officials touted the plan for a new $1.3 billion stadium and mixed-use development designed to keep the team at the Coliseum site. Raiders owner Mark Davis currently is pursuing a plan to...